Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-02-09
FELL THROUGH A BRIDGE.
TERRIBLE DISASTER ON THE YER
MONT CENTRAL RAILWAY.
Two Passenger and Two Sleeping
Coaches Plunge into a Gorge
Distance of Sixty Feet.

! The Wreck Takes Fire and the UnfOrtu-
nate Victims Are Roasted to Death
Between Fifty and Sixty Lives Sup
| posed to Have Been LOst-Heartrend-
ing Scenes witnessed by the Survivors
Stories OF Eye-Witnesses.
| WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt, Feb e.
! A disastrous railroad accident occurred
about o'clock Saturday morning at Wood
| stock, VT, about two miles north Of this
! place. The express which left Springfield,
Mass, at O'Clock Friday night bound for
| MontresI, when near Woodstock, ran off the
bridge at that place and two sleepers and two
passenger coaches, full of passengers, fell
| through the bridge distance of sixty feet.
The cars and bridge at once caught fire, the
latter being entirely consumed.
The train was running at high rate Of
speed when it ran off the bridge. The
shrieks and groans of the injured and dying
were heartrending in the extreme. The
widest excitement prevailed Ten bodies
have been taken from the wreck. About
thirty persons were injured. Physicians
were sent to the scene and everything was
done for the care of the in
jured Henry Tuxbury of West
Randolph, wel-known lecturer,
is among the killed. The express as it left
White River Junction consisted of one sleep
ing car and a passenger coach from Spring
field City, one Chicago sleeper, connected at
White River Junction, one Boston sleeper,
one mail car from Boston, one passenger
coach and baggage car. The passengers were
bound for the Montreal carnival One re-
port says that over forty persons were
killed.
George Parker, a brakeman, brought the
news of the accident to this place. He was
on the platform of the second car and felt a
severe sho ok. Jumping for safety he rolled
over and over down the bank and when he
brought up he was within a few feet Of the
river. Running to house near by he pro-
cured team and drove here and gave the
alarm. The officials here made train and
with medical aid went to the scene of the dis
aster. When the train reached the wreck
the progress Of the flames had been so
rapid that the bridge and four
cars were practically destroyed. The iron
work of the cars was scattered over the ice.
The only house near by was that of Thomas
1lHRT6S, WHO F6nQGTed valuable assistance IN
caring for the freezing injured.
Mr.. Mccartney, who went ON the relief
train and looked over the track, says that
broken rail was near the bridge and that
caused the disaster. The Empire and just
two cars stayed on the track. The baggage
and mail cars being preserved intact, served
as an hospital for the injured. One man
died soon after being carried in the
mail-car. Mr.. Mccarthy saw man
with a child on the bank of ths
river, both dead. A woman was lying ON
the snow, and kind persons had covered her
with spare clothing. Soon after there was
sufficient he lp to remove her to the Pingree
house. She is badly hurt, but is still alive
There were few others scattered at farm
houses farther away than the Pingree, but
the nearest settlement is White River vii
lage, three miles to the south. The baggage
car being entirely filled with baggage, it Is
the strongest proof that the train through
out was a well filled one.
Among the number taken out alive from
the train and who died afterward were:
Frank L. Wesson, Springfied; Henry Tux
ury, West Randolph; Ed F. Dillon, SPRING
field; Conductor Sturtevant of the train.
Among the injured were: Miss Lowell, Of
New York, Brakeman Ed Brooklebank
Charles NJ. Hosmer, of Lowell, book
keeper for Otis, Alien & Son, makes the fol-
lowing statement: ~ took the train at
Lowell; was in Central Vermont sleeper; l
remember twenty-one others including five
ladies in the car but knew none of them per-
sonally. Several were going to Montreal.
was awakened out of sleep and the first
knew was the humping of the car. got on
my knees and the car began to sway with
5ckening motion. Then came the crash and
first all was darkness and confusion. don't
remember that there was any screaming,
but there were means and calls for help !
found myself pinned down by o seat but
broke q window and somehow or other
worked myself out Of the car onto the ice
] should think the car dropped fifty-five feet.
The other three cars were also on
the ice they having broken away from the
forward part Of the train. My clothing, ex-
cept two shirts and Socks, was torn from me
in getting out. l lost everything else. A
man who occupied birth next to me was
struggling amidst the ruins He asked me
to help him and / finally succeeded in extri-
eating him. There was lady in the ruins
whom we saved, but she was naked when we
took her from the car She said she could
never have been taken out il she had kept
her clothing on. l think was the first per-
son who got out. Mr. HutchinS, OF Brain
tree, who took the train at Concord, escaped
and assisted in saving others. The lady we
rescued proved to bs Mrs. Dryden, of Mon
treal. worked un til was so chilled that
could do nothing more. A few minutes after
the crash the car took fire and
the flames lsaped onto the bridge and IL
Illuminated the valley for long distance.
Those who were unable to escape were soon
In the embrace of death. can not now re-
alize the terrible spectacle of the last scene.
When the flames burst out / could see inn
prisoned passengers either calling for help
or insensIble, but there was no power 70 save
them. ! walked, or rather crawled, to q
house where got some clothing. Our car
was the second of the sleepers. Out Of the
twenty two in my car, personally know
that nine at least were saved. Mrs. Dryden
was seriously injured in the back. l saw
two Of those in my car in the flames. / re-
member Montreal trapper who had been
with his club in Boston. He was saved, but
his lady companion was lost"
A Mr.. Morse of Springfield, Mass, is
among the injured at the Junction house; a
Mr Moft hav.daaIar fr,1n, Nau Vort